Practice golf ball support



June 9, 1964 M. J. RUDERIAN 3,136,419

PRACTICE GOLF BALL SUPPORT Filed 001:. 2, 1962 INVENTOR.

MAX J, RUDERIAN Jayme ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,136,419 PRACTICE GOLF BALL SUPPORT Max J. Ruderian, 545 Hanley, Los Angeles, Calif. Filed Oct. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 227,816 "2 Claims. (Cl. 20679) This invention relates generally to accessory devices and more particularly to a supporting device for practice type golf balls.

Practice golf balls are made up of hollow plastic spheres provided with a plurality of openings in their external surface. The balls are light and the openings in the surface will provide suflicient wind friction that the ball will not travel too far when struck by a golf club. The balls themselves may be used with conventional golf tees.

Because of the spherical shape of the balls, it is not always convenient to carry the balls or to store them without the balls rolling about. Also, it is difficult to carry tees with the balls without losing some of the tees.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel practice golf ball support serving to facilitate the carrying about of a plurality of such balls.

More particularly, it is an object to provide a practice golf ball support including convenient means for suspending the support to facilitate storing of plastic golf balls and further including means for supporting golf ball tees to the end that the risk of losing such tees is minimized.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a practice golf ball support which is extremely economical to manufacture.

Briefly, these and other objects and advantages of this invention are attained by providing a single integral stamping in the form of a flexible flat sheet member provided with a plurality of circular openings corresponding in diameter to the diameter of the practice golf balls for receiving the golf balls. Each of the openings in turn includes tongue means constituting integral extensions of the sheet member projecting into and terminating within the openings. The tongues associated with each opening are arranged to be received within one or more of the holes of the practice golf ball to retain the golf ball within the circular opening. In addition, the sheet may include tab means for supporting a tee so that the tee itself has its shaft extending into one of the holes in the practice golf ball to provide further support.

A better understanding of the invention will be had by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the practice golf ball support of this invention with one of the balls removed to disclose various features of the support;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary cross section taken in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view showing a modified construction.

Referring first to FIGURE 1, the support comprises a single integral flexible sheet member terminating at its upper end in a hook structure 11 to facilitate suspending the carrier from a persons belt or other portion of his clothing. As shown, the sheet member 10 includes a plurality of circular openings 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19. These openings are of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the practice golf balls to be supported therein.

As shown, each of the openings such as the circula opening 16 includes a tongue 20 constituting an integral extending portion of the sheet 10 projecting radially into the opening and terminating therein.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- "ice URE 1, there is provided a second or additional tongue 21 in a diametrically opposite portion of the opening also extending into the opening and terminating within the opening. These tongues are adapted to be received in substantially diametrically opposite openings in plastic type golf balls to be supported within the opening.

The stamping 10 also includes tab members such as the tab member 22 having an end portion overlapping the opening 16 and including a hole 23. This hole 23 is dimensioned to receive the shaft portion of a golf tee in such a manner as to enable the golf tee itself to aid in supporting the practice golf ball held within the opening 16. 1

With particular reference to the upper left hand opening 12 in FIGURE 1, this arrangement will be clearer wherein there is shown a tab 24 similar to the tab 22 having an end opening 25 receiving a tee 26. The shaft portion of this tee is positioned over a practice golf ball 27 and received in one of the holes 28 in the golf ball.

In FIGURE 2, it will be noted that the tee will serve to anchor the ball 27 within the circular opening 12. The tab 24 thus serves a dual function in that it provides a support for a tee and also positions the tee in a manner to aid in supporting the practice type golf ball.

With reference once again to FIGURE 1, it will be noted that additional holes such as 29 may be provided for additional tees 30 in the sheet 10.

FIGURE 3 shows a slightly modified construction wherein a circular opening 12 is provided with a cutout portion 12" dimensioned to receive the head 30' of a tee. The arrangement is such that the shaft of the tee will fit within one of the holes 28' of a practice golf ball 27' when positioned in the circular opening 12'. Thus, there is again provided a structure wherein the tee is not only supported itself but also aids in supporting the golf ball within the circular opening.

In operation, the tongues such as 20 and 21 are simply bent outwardly to be received in substantially diametrically opposite openings in a practice type golf ball so that the golf ball will be retained within the circular opening. After the golf ball is in position, a tee may be passed through the end opening in the tab such as the opening 25 for the tee 26 and the end of the tee then im serted in one of the holes of the practice type golf ball 27 to provide further support for the ball as well as support for the tee. The sheet member may then be suspended by the hook 11 and easily carried about.

One or more of the practice type golf balls may be readily removed simply by pulling the same from the opening and permitting the tongue members to flex as necessary to release the ball.

The entire support may be manufactured by a single stamping operation and thus is extremely economical. Further, because of the arrangement of the openings Within the support and the provision of the hook structure, the support may readily be suspended from any convenient hook for easy storing purposes or for display purposes, if desired.

While only one particular embodiment of the invention has bene shown and described, various changes falling within the scope and spirit of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. The practice golf ball support is therefore not to be thought of as limited to the exact structures set forth merely for illustrative purposes.

What is claimed is:

1. A support for practice golf balls having holes therein, said support comprising: a single integral stamping in the form of a flat flexible sheet member terminating at its upper end in suspending means, said sheet including a plurality of circular openings of diameter corresponding to said practice golf ball, each of said open- 3 ings including one tongue constituting an integral portion of said sheet extending'into and terminating in the openings, saidtongue being adapted to be received in one hole of said golf ball to hold said golf ball in said opening, each of said openings including an additional tongue constituting an integral portion of said sheet and extending into and terminating in said opening in'diametrically-opposed relationship to said first mentioned tongue for reception in a substantially diametrically opposite hole in said ball, and in which said sheet includes at least one tab adapted to be bent out of the plane of said sheet, one end of said tab overlying one of said openings and including a hole therein; a golf tee adapted to be received in said hole and to project into a hole in one of said practice golf balls positioned in said opening to provide support for said tee and additional support for said ball.

2. A support for practice golf balls having holes therein, said support comprising: a single integral stamping,

in the form of a flat flexible sheet member terminating at itsupper end in suspending means, said sheet including a plurality of circular openings of diameter corresponding to said practice golf balls, each of said openings including at least one tongue constituting an integral portion of said sheet extending into and terminating in the opening, said tongue being adapted to be received in one hole of said golf ball to hold said golf ball in said opening, at least one of said circular openings including a cut-out portion on its periphery at a point opposite said tongue adapted to receive the head of a golf tee so that the shaft ofsaid tee projects radially into said opening in a position to pass through a hole in said golf ball substantially diametrically opposite the hole receiving said tongue, whereby said tee serves to support part of said golf ball.

References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 716,759 Crane Dec. 16, 1902 1,572,383 Dennys Feb. 9, 1926 1,789,910 Rosenstein Jan. 20, 1931 2,211,330 Hochberg Aug. 13, 1940 2,604,204 Rockey etral. July 22, 1952 3,099,452 Fernicola July 30, 1963 

2. A SUPPORT FOR PRACTICE GOLF BALLS HAVING HOLES THEREIN, SAID SUPPORT COMPRISING: A SINGLE INTEGRAL STAMPING IN THE FORM OF A FLAT FLEXIBLE SHEET MEMBER TERMINATING AT ITS UPPER END IN SUSPENDING MEANS, SAID SHEET INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CIRCULAR OPENINGS OF DIAMETER CORRESPONDING TO SAID PRACTICE GOLF BALLS, EACH OF SAID OPENINGS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE TONGUE CONSTITUTING AN INTEGRAL PORTION OF SAID SHEET EXTENDING INTO AND TERMINATING IN THE OPENING, SAID TONGUE BEING ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN ONE HOLE OF SAID GOLF BALL TO HOLD SAID GOLF BALL IN SAID OPENING, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CIRCULAR OPENINGS INCLUDING A CUT-OUT PORTION ON ITS PERIPHERY AT A POINT OPPOSITE SAID TONGUE ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE HEAD OF A GOLF TEE SO THAT THE SHAFT OF SAID TEE PROJECTS RADIALLY INTO SAID OPENING IN A POSITION TO PASS THROUGH A HOLE IN SAID GOLF BALL SUBSTANTIALLY DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE THE HOLE RECEIVING SAID TONGUE, WHEREBY SAID TEE SERVES TO SUPPORT PART OF SAID GOLF BALL. 